Punching or like machine



May 3, 1932. A. THOMAS E-r Al.

PUNCHING OR LIKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1929 1'1 Sheets-Sheet 1 ,mm Y 06 Nm M/R Fw w WPI nn @www f um 4. Smm g mn] wy. E Re QN AN @mi @N wN @NN NN NNN N RE NE N .N .MPN

May 3, 1932. A. THOMAS E-r AL PUNCHING OR LIKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1929 l1 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

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PUNCHING OR LIKE MACHINE MB! 3,' V1932- A. THOMAS E1' AL PUNCHING OR'LIKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1929 11 Sheets-Sheet V'7 mmm/5 y May 3, 1932. A. THOMAS 1' Al.

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11 Sheets-Sheet 9 A. THOMAS ET AL Filed Aug. 9, 1929 PUNCHING OR LIKE MACHINE May 3, 1932.

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May 3, 1932. A."'l'i-ovms AL PUNCHING on LIKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1929 11 Sheets-Sheel'l 10 ATTORNEY May 3, 1932. A. THOMAS ET AL PUNCHING OR LIKE MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1929 11 SheeS-Sheeb ll P tntefl May 3, 1932 ARTHUR- THOMAS, OF THORNTON HEATH, AND PCHARD FI'IZ POWER, OF HAMPSTEAD LONDON, ENGLANB, ASSL'GIIORS 'IO THE ACCOUNTING & TAB'ULATING CORPORATION OF GT. BRITAIN LMITE-D, OF LONDON, ENGLAND PUNCHING OR LiKE MACHINE Application filed August 9, 1929, Serial N o. 384,@1, and in Great Britain. August 20, 1928. Y

rl`his invention relates to a punching inamon striker operated mechanism which actuchine for record cards or the like and has for ates a punch by a light selecting bar being inits object to accelerate the action of punching terposed betweenk the striker and punch by a machines and in the case of hand operated key. T us, instead of it being necessary to perforating machines for record cards, for inake rigid punch operating levers connectinstance, as used in statistical machines, to ing the individual keys to their respective provide a construction in Which the key touch punches, it is only required to provide a light is made more suitable for an operator, errors Connection from the key to the punch and the are substantially eliminated, and it is cheaper care necessar in the construction of the actuto manufacture; at the same time to provide al punching' mechanism can be concentrated ce a punching or perforating machine in which 0n 'the common mechanism with its single the card is visible immediately before punchconnection.

ing and onlv a small part, actually, a column, F'urther, by the use of a light selecting bar on the card obscured during a punching op- Which needs only a flick to dispose it in eferation, and a still further object is to profort transmitting position from a striker to c5 duce a punching machine incorporating a a punch, great flexibility of design is atniagazine from `which cards to be punched are tamed, that 1S to Say, that supposing a key acsupplied to the punch, as a compact entity. lGIi 1S employed the keys need not directly A method of operating punches of a card Operate the Selector bars but may operate inpeyfomging machine according t0 the inventermediate members so that the control from 70 tion consists in transmitting eort to the the key t0 the Selector may pass through a punches from an actuating member during large angle, as for example, a right angle, as one movement in one direction thereof, so that hereinafter mOie particularly described. the punching and return stroke of the Preferably, the striker is so designed that 5 punches are effected during one stroke of the llllld'lut-ely after the commencement of its 7 actuating member. operation it stands in tie path of the selector rEhe invention further consists in a method MS liOt Operated, thereby the machine is of Opel-aging punches of a Card performing locked against a. subsequent operation until machine wherein eort is transmitted to the the lCCUIt @Ompletion of the striker With- ;ao punches from a striker by interposing a light ClIW-l Stmk@ s0 selecting member in the path of the striker, COHVGIHGIltly, the Striker is mounted on a and preferably the striker is reciprocated lClPPOCLtlIlg member positively moved byeiforttransmiited from an actuating meinhlfOUg'h 21- Cpuiplete reciprocation, i. e., to bm, dwing one movement in on@ direction strike and Withdraw during one movement in Cii only whereby a maximum speed for the strik- 011 ClrGCtOli Of an actuating member. The

er, and, therefore, a quick resetting of the actuating member may be an intermittently machine, is attained, and the Whole of the rotated member operated by a paWl at predeperiod of the return stroke of the key is avail-A teluined intervals, or it may be in the form able for the travel of the card to the next posio a reciprocating member, in the latter ease e H01L in accordance with the invention the complete 99 A record card punching or perforating operation of the striker is attained during the machine operating according to the present movement in one direction of the reciprocatinvention includes means for operating at ing member. will one of a series of punches by a striker ln another form the striker may be carried es common to all the punches on the interposiby the sheath of an eccentric rotated through tioning between the striker and the corre- 8 0 by means of a paWl and ratchet device. sponding punch of a light selector bar moved The pawl may have tivo operative faces and by selector mechanism. Supposing the sethe ratchet co-operating lateral abutments lector mechanism comprises a keyboard for e. g. pins, disposed so that the movement of 0 moving the selector bars, there will be a comthe ratchet communicated to the sheath is cci effected by a variable effort, which is at a maximum, at about half travel of the ratchet. In another form the eccentric may be driven by means of a pinion, connected in the manner of a free Wheel to the eccentric, the actuating member in this case being in the form of a. rack, the free Wheel connection permitting an inoperative return stroke of the rack immediately after a punching operation.

lf the punches are arranged vertically and of sufficient Weight, they may be permitted to fall by gravity alone on the Withdrawal of the striker, but in order to assure as rapid as possible a clearing ofthe punch from the card the striker is caused to positively return the punch immediately after a punch operation.

To this end the punches maybe freely sliding members each formed with aheador some other lug or projectiomwhicli may be adjustable on the punch, the strikerV being formed to embrace the head or equivalent projection to positively impart the Working and Withdrawal strokes of the punches.

By utilizing freely sliding members no springs are employed to return the punches, consequently ythe operation will become lighter as the machine becomes freer running, that is to say, the machine will improve and not deteriorate during use. y

'ln operation, therefore, of a striker mecaanism according to the invention, the striker in its upstroke enga-ges the projected end of a selector b'ar, pushes this selector bar up with the respective punch for a distance necessary to assure the punching operation bythe punch and .then pulls down the punch and the selector bar back to initial positioinand thereafter the selector bar is Withdrawn again to resetting position when the operating key for the bansupposing a key action is employed-Would be reset as hereafter eX- plained.

Supposing, therefore, 'the bar is initially horizontal during the striking movement, its free end is moved upwardly withy the striker. To permit this inovement'the selector bar may be hinged at its end further aivay from the striker. Alternatively, the selector bar could be a reciprocal member with the end which is introduced betweenthe striker and its'respectiye punch as an articulated extremity to the selector bar. Alternatively, the selector bar may be flexible to permit the distention during the operation of thes'triker.

A punch operating mechanism according to the invention is preferably used in combination With a key action carriage for feeding cards to the punch step by step between the punching operation. The combination may be characterized by a key action effecting the interpositioning of a light selector between the striker and punches, as hereafter particularly described. Y y s With such an arrangement a novel method of operating punches obtains, such method being characterized by the fact that the Whole of the operation of perforating the card and withdrawing the punch from the hole is completed in the down stroke of a key, and the Whole of the period of the return stroke of the key is available for the travel of the card to the next position.

An apparatus including in combination punch operating mechanism according to the. inyention and a key action carriage for feeding cards from the magazine tothe punch, preferably includes a picker ctr-.ated by the carriage t'o'mve each cart. separately from the vmagazine to the carriage. Y

The keys may be formed with actuating cams adapted to positively push and retract the light selectorfbars from into and out of selecting position for the punches.

lln a combined card feeding and punching mechanism according to the invention Wherein a key action carriage is employed for feeding cards to the punch, the key action is preferably utilized'to operate the striker of the punch mechanism so that the punches are operated and Withdrawn on the depression of a key, thereby the period of return stroke of the key is available for the movement of the carriage With the card through the next step'permitted by the key action ready for the depression ofthe next key and the next consequential punching operation.

ln such an arrangement and supposing the striker is operated through pawl and ratchet gear as hereinbefore efrplained, the return stroke of the paWl or equivalent actuating member for the striker is partially effected by impulse received from the carriage spring usually referred to as the tension of the carriage through the escapeinent which is connected to the key action as hereafter more fully explained, hence the tension of the carriage is utilized to eiiect not only the return of the punch actuating member but also the return of the key action to resetting position. l

Preferably, the key action'operating the escapement of the carriage produces the engagement of the check and actuating paivls with the carriage rack thereby positively rriage rigidly during a puncl holding the ca ing operation.

ln referring Vto a resetting position meant, so far as regards 'key action or key operated mechanism, the position ofthe Vparts before any key is depressed.

A The keys of the key action may be arranged in rows, each key of a rou' freely engaging aspring controlled rocking lever cointo the row, the said rocking levers being mon connected to the striker gear.y thereby on the depression of Aany key thestriker is operated. and the other keys are rendered inoperative. Thesaid spring controlled rocking lever may directly operate the pay'vl or rack, Whichever is 'employed of the striker actuating gear, or

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alternatively operate a rock shaft carrying a toothed member engaging the striker pinion.

rlhe punches are preferably aligned in a column by a narrow die plate slotted transversely for the introduction of cards for a punching operation whereby only a column of the cards being punched is obscured from view and the punch support may be formed with a guide, e. g. in the form of a die or slot, for the card feeding carriage assuring correct vertical setting, the carriage preferably being also formed with a. circular slide moving in a. bearing assuring horizontal setting of the carriage, thereby assuring correct presentation of a card to the said apparatus assuming the card is accurately presented to the carriage.

ln order that the invention may be more clearly understood preferred constructions will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of example, wherein is employed, in conjunction with a punch or perforator according' to the invention for makin-fr holes in cards, a key action carriage card feeding mechanism so that the cards are punched as they are fed by the carriage step by step to the punches.

ln the drawings:

F ig. 1 is a perspective view showing the complete machine parts, being broken away for the sake of clearness;

Fio. 2 is an end elevation of the machine the parts being in inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, only such parts being included as to show the striker raised as ay result of a key operation and a punch displaced;

Fig. 4l is a side elevation of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are detail views showillustrated in Figs. l, 2 and 9;

iO. 9 is a front elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 10 is a rear elevation thereof; and

Fig. 11 is a plan view.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the card receiving device is shown collapsed against the machine.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the modified arrangement for operating the light bars, and a modilication of the light bar construction;

Fig. 13 shows in perspective view a modied arrangement for operating the striker;

Fig. 14 shows a further modification of such arrangement;

Figs. 15, 16 and 17 show in diagrammatic elevation a plan and end view respectively, still further modified arrangement for operating the striker from a key action;

Figs. 18 and 19 are a perspective view and sectional elevation of a modified form of dog for use with a skip mechanism;

Fig.` 2O is a front elevation of the carriage; of which ig. 21 is an end view, the parts of the car-` riage being' in non-gripping position;

Fig. 22 is a rear elevation of the carriage showing the parts in gripping position;

Fig. 23 is an end view thereof;

Fi 2stA is a central sectional elevation taken on the line XX1V-XXIV of Fig. 10;

Fig'. 25 is a fragmentary rear view of the card magazine showing the cradle collapsed for the reception of a batch of cards; and

Figs. 26 and 27 show in diagrammatic ele vation and plan respectively a modified arrangement employing picker mechanism for removing cards from the bottom of the pile.

ln the drawings like reference numerals designate the same or similar parts.

eferring now to the drawings, at one end of the machine a vertical support 1 is pro vided for the punches P, the support including two horizontal guide bars 2 and 3 one for each end of the punches, and above the guide bar 2 a narrow die plate 4f. The upper guide bar 2 and the die plate l may be formed integrally by slotting transversely a bar so as to provide the necessary opening between the guide and the die plate forL the passage of a card after a punching operation.

Preferabl however. the die plate and guide are relatively adjustable so that the opening between them be varied.

he punches P are loosely disposed within the guide bars 2 andv 3 and at their lower ends are provided with a bush or ring to form on each punch a head Under each punch P is disposed the extremity of a light selector bar B.

The striker S is in the form of a vertical plate mounted for reciprocation between pairs of guides indicated at 5 and 6 formed on the support 1 hereinbefore referred to.

he upper part of the striker is slotted as indicated at 7 for the reception of the end of a light selector bar B so that on an upstroke of the striker S the interposed bar B is struck up and also the punch P whose head overlies the interposed bar.

The slot 7 of the striker S is large enough to permit the necessary travel of the punch to effect a punching operation, and the upp r part S of the striker though clear of the heads during an upstroke engages the heads on the downstroke of the striker and definitely pulls back the previously displaced punch to normal position, and as hereafter more fully explained the respective key, which causes the bar B to be interposed between the striker and the respective punch, is reset.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3 the effect of raising` the striker is to obstruct the other selector bars from a movement towards their resp As the plate 27 is oscillated on the displacement of the actuating member R a shoulder 3l on the trip member 29 engages the tail 28 of the striker operating member 24 causing the latter to rotate about the rod 25 and cause the upward movement of the striker.

The actuating member R is provided with an adjustable abutment by which the escapement mechanism of a card feeding carriage employed in the apparatus and hereafter particulariy referred to, is operated when a key member is depressed cansino` displacement of the actuating member R the escapement mechanism including T-shaped member 33 provided with a shoulder 34 which is engaged by the abutment 32 on the actuating member R and a. nose 35.

n the roC 25 a shoulder is formed for engagement by the nose and the lever 33 to effect the movement of the rod 25 and reverse movement of the linger 24 to permit or cause a downward movement of the striker.

.l t will be seen therefore that during the first movement of the rod R through the agency of the plate 27 and trip 29 and tail 28, the linger 24 is rocked so as t-o raise the striker and in the final movement of the rod R its abutment 32 presses forward the T-lever 33 of the carriage eseapement mechanism and the nose 35 of the T lever is caused to effect a retraction of the striker. rl`he shoulder with which the nose operates may shown in Fig. l be formed by a slotted sleeve member 36.

The operation of the finger 24 by the trip member 29 through the agency of the shoulder 3l and the tail piece 28 has already been explained and it will be noted that below the plate 27 is a trip pin 37 which stands in the path of movement of the trip 29 whose engaging face 29a is formed so that the cam action is effected when the trip strikes the trip pin 37 and causes an anticlockwise movenieiitrof the trip which withdraws the shoulder 3l thereof from the tail 28 of the striker lifting gear so that the latter can be reversed under the action of the nose of the lever 33 as hereinbefore explained.

The relative positions of the finger member 24 and tail 28 under operation of the trip 29 and the nose of the lever 33 are clearly shown Figs. 5 to 8 which show the progressive positions from the lifting of the striker to the release of the striker to permit it to fall. 0f these figures, Fig. 5 shows the trip 29 just to engage the' tail 23 and Fig. 6 shows he c mpleted movement of the striker lifted, 'ie trip just engaging the pin 37. Fig. 7 he defiection of the trip member from 23 of the striker lifting gear by enof the pin 37 and the engagement rer lifting gear the nose of the Fig. 8 shows the linger member 4 dri ven backwards in an anticlockwise movement under the eHort from the member 33 It will be seen that the operation of the striker from the member R is eected through the trip member 29 and to prevent this trip member stiekingin the position attained after engaging the trip pin 37 as shown in Fig. 7 in which position the -oscillation of the plate 27 would be ineffective as regards the striker, a safety catch in the Vform of a l member 38 is employed. This member 33 is spring influenced and is disposed to engage the trip member in the deflected position so that on the return of the plate 27 it is caused to rock whereby on the next clockwise movement of the plate 27 the trip member must engage the trip pin 37.

Referring again to the return of the striker lifting member 24 under operation of the nose 35 of the lever 33 it will be clear that in lifts the striker and piece between the abutment 32 on the member sleeve member 36 on the shaft 25 so that the member R positively effects the movement of the lifting member 24 in both directions to cause the rise and fall of the striker during one direction of movement of itself.

rl'he object of incorporating the member 35 as part of the escapement mechanism is as hereafter more fully explained to use the carriage tension to assist return of the parts after a complete reciprocation of the striker and to control unrequired lifting of the check pawl of the escapement.

Instead of using the mechanism just described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8, the striker may be carried by the sheath of an eccentric 39 as shown in Fig. 13 mounted on a rod 25a on which is carried a pinion 40 in mesh with a ratchet 4lactuated by a pawl 42 connected to the actuating member R of the striker. The pawl preferably has two operative faces 43 and 44 and the ratchet is provided with lateral abutments as for example pins 45 disposed so that the movement of the ratchet communicated to the striker through the eccentric 39 is effected by a variable effort which is lat a maximum at about half travel of the ratchet. In such mechanism the face 43 lirst engages a pin 45 and then the effort is transmitted to the face 44 which o crates at a shorter leverage, so that the linal part of the step movement of the wheel will have greater force, that is to say, that the striker will be moved first of all gradually up with the selector barV and punch and during the movement of striking will be given a maX- imum effort which also is utilized to withdraw the striker.

ln this arrangement also the member R is connected to a lever 33 of the escapement mechanism so that the tension in the carriage can be utilized to assure returnof the actuated member R: for one forward moveare indicated at Without effecting ment ofthe member R the eccentric is turned through an angle ot 36()o and the sheath reciprocated so that the striker' Sis raised and lowered.

The eccentric is initially set so that the actuating member commences the movement of the eccentric by applying eiiort at the maximum leverage. By such arrangement jarring is avoided between the operators inger and a key When the striker is key operated.

v To produce an evenness ot torque in the ratchet 41 abraking lever 46 may be disposed inthe path ot' a lug 47 on the paWl 42 sothat the rockingzot the member 46 under the movement of the ratchet is opposedby the pawl member itself throughout travel ot the paWl and the: ratchet.

In an* alternative construction indicated in Fig. 14 a lear` spring 46av is employed to engage against the pins and so oppose the movement of the paivl 42 thereby an evenness, ot motion is obtained.

A further modified construction for operatingthe striker Jfrom a key isfshovvn in'Figs. 157 16 and 17.'

In `this arrangement the. actuating member Ris in the form ot1 a rack the teeth ot which 43 and the, rack isv integral Withthe part 23 connected to the levers 21 actuated 'through the keys. A spindle 25a isL provided as in the construction shown in Fig'. 13 with an eccentric 39fand on the eX- tremity is a pinion 40e which engages with the. teeth 43 o'lthe rack actuating member, the. rack having su'liicient teeth sovthat in one direction ot movement impelled by depression ot akey the rack causes a rotation ot the corresponding rotation ot y the eccentric through 3600 thereby the striker is lifted and Withdrawn.

The-rack is connected to the pinion 40a by means-ot'what may be termed a tree Wheel construction to permitthe return of the rack the punches. Instead ot' the rack a toothed Wheel or quadrant may be employed as will be understood in the art;

The tree Wheel'construction is obtained by cutting the teeth of the pinion ot gradually increasing length from a minimum to a manimum so as to have a proiileot helical form clearly shown in Figs. 16 and 17 to engage with the end Jface of a bush 49 carried on the rodm, the face ot which bush is cut also in the manner ot heliX.

Vhen the parts areV in normal position the largest teeth ot the pinion will lie' in the shoulder: otlthe helix consequently on the actuation of the rack byr the depression ot the key a forward movement ofthe rack is produced resulting in driving the pinion clockwise and the eccentrics through 360. When the key isrcleasedr the rack returned under the spring pressure hereafter rei-erred to and the helical tace Working in opposite direction causes the pinion 40a to be laterally displaced and disengaged from the bush 49 thereby the rack is returned Withouty operating the striker.

rlhe spring influence employed in returning the rack is in this construction again obtained trom the escapement mechanism oi the card feeding carriage the actuating member R being connected to the T lever 33 hereinbetore referred to by a rod 50 and link 51 thereby the tension ot the carriage is employed to return the actuating member it to normal resetting position.

in each of the striker operating mechanisms described the T lever 33 ot the escapement mechanism has been shown in adjustable relation with the actuating member R.

The carriage C has in the usual manner a carriage rack 52 and an extension 53 torming' an anchorage 54 ior a cable connection 55 to a spring controlled drum 56 on which the spring isindicated at 57, this beingthe carriage tension.

Viewing Fig. 1 the movement of the carriage. to the right causes the spring 57 to be coiled andthe energy conserved in the spring is expended in moving the carriage to the lett step by step on the operation ot the keys on the controlot the escapement now to be referred to. rl`he escapement includes the T member 33 which is pivoted at 58 on the trame ot the machine and carries a pin 59 which engages'with the check pavvl 60 virtually pivoted at 61 on the trame ot the machine. Pivoted on he trame oi': the machine at 62' is a bell crank lever 63 at 'the upper end ot which is termed the actuating pawl 64.

From the foregoing itwvill be seen that on the depression ot any of the keys causing a displacement ot the actuating member R that the T lever 33 is rocked and the check pawl raised out ont the carriage rack 52 against the tension ot spring a which tends to keep the check paWl in the rack and is anchored between the check pawl and the actuating pawl 64.,

When the check pawl is in the carriage rack 52 movement ot the rack under the carriage tension is prevented, but when it is raised then the carriage can go viorward t0 the extent permitted. The extent ot movement is governed by the actuating pawl. This pawl is pulled into the rack by a spring 6.5 clearly shown in Fig. 1.

it has already been explained that the movement ot the actuating member B first caused the operation ot the striker and then operated the lever 33, it will be clear there 'iore that towards the end ot a downward stroke a key that the check pa-Wl 60 is lifted out ot the rack, and premature litt avoided by the abutment ci lever 33 on sleeve member 36. At the same time the actuatingfr pavvl is engaged in the rack.

in the construction shown in'Fig. 1 this operating the is effected by connecting thel loyver arm of the bell crank 63 to a link 66 by means of a pivot pin 56a to the plate 27 of the striker actuated mechanism, which plate is connected to the actuating member R as aforesaid, consequei D actuating' member R berating the lever 33 and moving the check paul also actuates the lever 63 through the agency of the plate 2i' and ting pavv'l @el to engage the he same time, all this being effected 'when the key is fully depressed, the carriage meanwhile being momentarily held by this actuating paivl, thereby the car ia-ge is rigidly held during the punching operation.

is soon as the key is released the check pawl flies back under the actuation of spring tu. and the carriage (l has begun to move under the influence of the carriage tnsion into the nest operation so that the check pavvl is ready engage the nent tooth of the carriage rack 5.2, at the same time the carriage actuating paivl is forced up by the force C of the teeth of the rack 52 so that the carriage is released to move one tooth space on to the check pawl.

lt will be noted that the forcing up of the actuating pavvl Gel Will cause a movement of the plate 2?' which in turn will cause the return of the actuating member R ane eventually the resetting of the keys, thereby the tension of the carriage is employed to assure the return to normal position ot the striker actuating mechanism and also to reset Vthe keys; this normal position can conveniently be referred to as reset position and therefore it can be broadly stated that the carriage tension effects the return of the parts includto resetting position. Y

rl`his employment of the carriage tension occurs also in the construction shown in Figs. i3 and la wherein the lever 63 carrying the actuating paivl is connected to the paWl 42 ratchet el controlling the striker.

It Will be noted t iat the pawl is slotted at GT for the reception of a pin 68 carried by the lever the arrangement being such that on the rocking ofthe lever 63 bythe camming up of the actuating' pawl Se, by the teeth of the carnage rack 52 that the ratchet /ll is reset Withouthindrance to the arcuate movement of the lever Further it will be noted that in the' con struction shown in Fig. l5 that the forcing up of the actuating paivl causes through the agency of the rod 50 and the link 5l, the return of the actuznting` member R, in this case in the form of a rack, to resetting position, and also tlie resetting of the keys.

lfrom the ioregoing it Will be clear that the carriage 'J which in manner after eX- plained carries the cards, passes punches P and is advanced step by step for each key depression and the punch actuating mechanism is carried to the escapement mechanism of the carriage so that the tension of the carriage operates to produce the return stroke of the actuating member R in a resettingof the keys.

It has just been stated that When the key is fully depressed the carriage rack is momentarily held by the carriage actuating pavvl. It is of interest here to note the movements of the check paWl and actuating pavvl in comparison With the movements ofthe striker actuating the punches. rlhe depression of a key causes the striking and Withdrawal strokes of the striker, therefore, at about half of the down stroke th-e actual act of striking the punches occurs.

NOW, at this moment, the check paWl is still in engagement with the carriage rack, though perhaps slightly removed from its normal position7 also the actuating paivl has been partly introduced into the rack teeth, therefore, at the moment of striking the rack is actually held by the check paWl and the actuating pawl. The carriage therefore is rigidly and accurately held in position during a striking operation by the arrangement of check paWl and actuating paWl and operating means operated .by the key as hereinbefore set forth.

The described arrangement of and actuating paWl and their control has the advantage also that should for any reason the carriage stick in its step by step progress the actuating paWl cannot be engaged with the carriage rack, hence the key cannot be depressed.

It is also of interest here to refer to the arrangement of vertical punches With sutlicient Weight and loosely mounted in their guides so that they may fall by gravity on the Withdrawal of the striker, although as hereinbefore described the striker is employed to positively return the punches after each operation.

By utilizing freely sliding punches no springs are employed, consequently the operation Will become lighter as the machine becomes freer, that is to say, the machine ivi ll improve and not deteriorate as user Instead of or other form of lever could he employed to operate the check paWl on the depression of a key, the reason for using the T lever being to simplify the construction of skip mechanism -tvhich comprises the thumb plate or finger plate 69 on the end of the T piece away from the check paivl. By depressing the finger plate 69 the 'l' lever is rocked and the check pavvl raised Without moving the actuating pawl lever 63,A consequently the carriage C is free to skip the Whole length of travel.

rlhe carriage may also be skipped through predetermined intervals through the check paivl the T lever 33 any bell cra-nk agency i i frame of the machine, tl

f 73 and engag a hey termed the ski s connected by a il tle 72 forming the plv bar 7? carried in a clamped to the pintle T2 piece indicated at 75, the such that depression of graduated scale har 73 to be roc ed and dog members 76 adjustable thereon disposed in the path of an abutment 77 carried on extensions 53 of the c ge.`

Conveniently, as shown in 1 ig. 1 the are bifurcated members straddling in slots Iormed at the top the scale. In practice these il at intervals to control in manner the skipping of the carriage ondepression of the key 70.

This movement of the scale bar is com municated by the lug 78 to a rocking lever 79 engaging a lug S0 on the T lever 33 that the rocking of the. scale by the depression of the skip key causes Jhe lug 78 to move upwardly and to depress the clear end of the T lever and consequently the lifting of the check pawl 60.

Jfrpart from the skipping mechanism the carriagemay also be moved along at intervals of one tooth without moving selector bar B. To this end a spacing hey 8l is employed which engages 'on' the rocking lever 19 so that the actuating member R is moved and consequently the check pawl raised and the actuating pawl simultaneously operated to control the movement of the carriage through one tooth space.

In Figs. 18 and 19 al modified form of dog is indicated at 70a. In this form of construction the dog is of plat-e form and recessed on its underside as indicated at S2 afd the graduated scale member v73 accordingly need be slotted only on the upper side. rlhe dog is dropped into position and gripped thereat by the spring as indicated at 83.

In a preferred. construction according to the invention a carriage is employed as described and claimed in co-pending application of Arthur Thomas and Ititchard Fitz Fewer, Serial No. 384,602, iil d August 9th, 1929, the carrige comprising, as shown in Figs. 20 to 23, pivoted grippcrs 100 in form triangular plates pivoted at their apices indicated at 101, each gripper being controlled lisy a spring 102 so that one base corner is pulled towards an abutment 103 so that a cartL may be gripped between the grippers 100 and the abutment.

In forni the carriage resembles a plate on edge and these grippers are in parallel relation therewith. The grippers are controlled by a common trip bar 104 whi h when moved in the direction of the arrow 105, Fig. 22, moves the grippers to operative position. The trip bar is pivotally connected at one and bottom of end, see 104e, to a bell crank member 106 and atthe leading end is associated Vwith a s )ring detent 107 carrying a pin 107 a passing through the carriage and provided with a spring 1075.

When the carriage has moved to the end of its travel with a card, which in Figs. 22 and 23 is indicated by the reference X, the bell. crank 106 moves over a stop 108 carried on the frame of the machine. The bell crank 106 is spring controlled as indicated at 109 and is mounted with an end plate on its pivot so that as the carriage moves to the end of its travel the bell crank is deflected and wiped past the stop 108, it then becoming disposed so as to pass over the stop immediately after the return movement of the carriage commences. On the commencement of this return movement the bell crank rides over the stop and is raised, consequentially moving the trip bar in opposite direction to the arrow 105, Fig. 22, thereby causing the grippers to move away from the abutment 103 so that a card X is free to fall therefrom, the grippers being then in open position as shown in Fig. 20.

Immediately the trip bar 104; has been pressed forward its end is engaged by the detent 107 aforesaid and thereby holds the grippers open until the carriage has been brought to resetting position for the commencement of the new' forward movement.

On the support 1 of the machine is a pin termed register pin 110, most clearly shown in Fig. 2. this pin being spring controlled and operable through the agency of a rocking plate 111 clearly shown in 1 and 2.

The support 1 of the punches is formed with a slot 11.2` see Fig. 2. which provides a positive guideway for the carriage, the part 53 of the carriage riding in the bottom of the slot.

The carriage C is perforated as indicated at 113, Figs. 20 and 22, soy that the detent may be pushed away from abutment with the trip bar 104. The register pin on the support is located with regard to the punches P so that unless the carriage is pulled right home on the return journey the pin cannot pass through the carriage and engage the detent, whereas when the carriage is pushed home correctly the plate 111 can be locked and the pin 110 projected through the support 1, the perforation 113 in the carriage and on to the detent` 107 which is then deflected from the abutting` position with the locking bar, the latter then moving in the direction of the arrow 105, Fig. 22, under the influence of the springs 102 of the grippers so that the end of the locking bar is in overlapping relation with regard to the detent 107, see Fig. 22. In this position the grippers snap up against the abutment or against the card if one is interposed between the 6, L moved on to the carriage by friction during grippers and the abutment 103 or the carriage.

1t will be seen therefore that the carriage is so constructed that a card cannot b-e gripped by the carriage until the carriage is in correct relation with the punches and with the carriage is positively guided by the punches. The carriage may be provided with a plate 114 to facilitate manipulation.

1n association with the carriage as hereinbefore described, it is preferred to form in the machine a carriage magazine and a picker mechanism operating synchronously with the carriage. To this end there is mounted between the support 1 of the punches and a support 115, a picker 116 the operating edge of the picker being parallel to the carriage so that a card engaged thereby is correctly aligned with the carriage when the grippers close upon it. The picker is mounted so as to overlap the card to be removed towards the carriage for a distance slightly less than its thickness, so that in moving the card forward the card is slid towards the carriage without the picker engaging the next juxtaposed card.

The cards preferably are carried on a plate or platform 117, clearly shown in Figs. 10, 24 and 25, which is spring controlled to press the pile of cards against a transparent, as for example glass, cover 118.

On the other side of the pile of cards to the picker is a throat knife 119 which extends to the card being' moved by the picker so as to prevent the juxtaposed cards from being the movement of the top card of which the knife 119 is clear.

The picker is operated to push the card against the carriage just before the end of its travel so that the abutment 103 and grippers 100 pass over and under the longitudinal edge of a card respectively during the final movement of the carriage until it is in the correct register position before explained, thereon the projection of the pin 110 causes the operation of the grippers to grip the card so fed to the carriage.

The final movement of the carriage is effected at the expense of tensioning the spring designed to return the carriage to register position, in which position the card gripped by the carriage is j ust clear of the throat knife thereby any obstruction caused by the knife due to deflection in the card is avoided.

The picker is guided in its movements by the horizontal guideways 120 in the supports 1 and 1.15 before referred to, and it is operated by a rocker shaft 121 carried between these supports and provided with short rocker arms 122, one towards each end ofthe pickwenr and having spherical ends which loosely engage in similar recesses formed in the upper ace of the picker. By such an arrangement picker can be moved from towards one PHT A the side of the rocker shaft 121, under it, to the other in the feeding movement. This movement is automatically effected from the carriage, the latter being provided with a shoulder 123'which during the final movements of the carriage engages one arm 124 of a bell crank pivoted at 125, see Fig. 11, the'other arm 126 of which actuates a spring controlled finger 127 on the rocker shaft thereby on the final movements of the carriage the picker knife feeds forward the card to the carriage the return of the picker being effected by the spring 128 controlling the finger 127.

The plate or platform 117 in association with the top 113 comprises a magazine for the cards, and the plate 117 forms in fact a. false bottom to the magazine of which the glass 113 is the top. The plate 117 is sup ported by springs so that the top card is always pushed against the glass 118. To this end the plate 117 is provided along its longitudinal edges with guides 129, see Fig. 10, to receive the ends of rocking arms 130 pivotally carried at the bottom of the magazine so that the plate 117 with the arms forms 1n nature a cradle about the magazine springs 131.

in order that the collapse of the cradle and the lowering of the platform for the recepelfected when the wall 132 is dropped down, the wall is provided with cam plates 134 which bear on lugs 135 mounted on a spindle which forms thepivotof the respective rocker arm 130 so that when the hinged wall is dropped down the cams 134 at each end there- 117 pulled down at the expense of tensionin springs 131. The cradle in collapsed position is clearly shown in Fig. 25, the magazine then being ready for charging.

Figs. and 24 show the parts when practically the last card is leaving the magazine.

In the lowermost position of the hinged wall the cam plates 134 act as abutments between the lugs 135 aforesaid preventing the return movement of the lugs under effort of the magazine springs 131. owever, when the hinged wall is raised the tension in the magazine spring is utilized to keep the lugs bearing against the plates so that the false bottom of the magazine rises to push cards to the top of the magazine as the hinged wall is rocked up to close the magazine.

F rom the foregoing description it will be clear that a card is automatically taken from the top of a pile arranged in parallel relation with the carriage by the picker and de- 

